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Garden City, NY...The “final four” of the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament is a familiar setting for The College of New Jersey as they have reached this part of the championship bracket in 24 of the 27 years the tournament has been held. What is little-known this time around is their opponent.

The top-ranked Lions (20-0) will face 11th-ranked Bowdoin College (17-3) for the first time when they meet in the national semifinals on Saturday, May 21 at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. Game time is set for 5 p.m. The winner of that game will get a chance at capturing the 2011 National Championship against the winner of the other semifinal between SUNY Cortland (21-1) and Gettysburg College (17-4). That championship game is slated for Sunday, May 22 at 3 p.m. Adelphi is also hosting the NCAA Division II Championships this weekend.

TCNJ advanced in dramatic fashion, rallying from five goals down midway through the second half to pull out a 14-13 victory at sixth-ranked Franklin & Marshall College. The Polar Bears won their regional final in one of the biggest upsets of the 2011 tournament when they bumped previously undefeated and second-ranked Trinity College 9-6.

Bowdoin and Lions have had one common opponent this spring in Stevens Institute of Technology. TCNJ beat the Ducks 17-5 in its season finale, while Polar Bears beat Stevens 13-10 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This is their first trip to the national semifinals.

TCNJ's offense ranks among the best in the country as they ranks 13th nationally in scoring at a clip of 16 goals a game. They have also set program records in points in a season (484) and assists (164), while being on the verge of adding the mark for goals needing seven more.

That offense is one of the most diversified groups in the country led by junior Leigh Mitchell (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape). Mitchell has a program best 119 points this season on 53 goals and 66 assists. Those 66 assists broke her own single-season record.

Junior Kathleen Notos (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) ignited TCNJ's rally against F&M as she netted five goals in the game raising her total to 72 for the season, making her the eighth player to eclipse the 70-goal plateau. The versatile Notos also leads the team in two other important categories with 82 draw controls and 43 ground balls.

Also in the mix is senior Alison Jaeger (Hampton, NJ/North Hunterdon), who is having another huge season with 108 points, including 63 goals. Earlier this season she became the program's all-time leader in both goals and points and has since extended those records to 260 goals and 361 points. Jaeger was selected as the Lacrosse Magazine Pre-season Player of the Year earlier this spring.

The Lions have also received plenty of secondary scoring as Alex Spark (Harvey Cedars, NJ/Southern Regional) has 33 goals, Jen Garavente (Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.) has 29, and both Jillian Nealon (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central) and Lauren Pigott (Jobstown, NJ/Northern Burlington) have each scored 22 times.

With all of the firepower on offense, TCNJ does boast the country's top defense that yields a mere 3.60 goals per game. Senior goalie Mary Waller (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) has been a defensive stalwart in the crease recording three shutouts and have held the opposition to five goals or less 16 times. She also ranks fifth in Division III with a .529 save percentage to go along with a perfect 20-0 record.

Waller has plenty of talent and experience in front of her as senior Kelly Brennan (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) has started every game for the past three years and classmate Kelsey O'Gorman (Valley Cottage, NJ/Nyack) is a two-year starter on defense. Sophomore Becky Gilman (West Allenhurst, NJ/Ocean Township) has started every game this season and freshman Claire Engelman (Colts Neck, NJ/The Peddie School) has emerged a key performer starting 19 straight games.

TCNJ's defense has allowed only 72 goals this season and more impressively have allowed just 154 shots on goal in 20 games.

The Polar Bears play in the New England Small College Athletic Conference and lost to Colby College 14-7 in the semifinals of their tournament. Bowdoin received at at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Carolyn Gorajek is Bowdoin's top offensive threat leading the team with 46 goals and 60 points. She is followed by Liz Clegg's 36 goals and Katie Stewart's 34. Clegg is having a good tournament as she has 10 goals and 11 points in the first three games.

Defense is also a strength for the Polar Bears as goalie Tara Connolly has a 6.89 GAA in 15 starts and has given up double figures in goals just four times this season.

Each game through the remainder of the tournament will be webcast via www.ncaa.com. For more tournament information, log-on to http://www.aupanthers.com/sports/w-lacros/spec-rel/11-ncaa-dii-diii-champ.html.